Elder's death prompts prison transport overhaul

Lee-Maree Gallo

Published: December 23 2010 - 1:17PM

The state government has replaced its entire fleet of prisoner transport vehicles following the roasting death of an Aboriginal elder from heat stroke while in custody, promising to uphold standards to ensure the tragic event would never be repeated.

Mr Ward, whose full name cannot be used for cultural reasons, died in the back of a prison van on the way from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in the Goldfields region in January, 2008.

Following an inquest into the death, State Coroner Alastair Hope made 14 recommendations to improve prison transport including replacement of the prison vans.

Corrective Services Minister Terry Redman said the $17 million replacement of 40 vehicles over two years was in direct response to the coronial recommendations.

He assured everything would be done to make sure a tragedy such as Mr Ward’s would not happen again.

"We can certainly give assurances that the vehicles we have now which meet the highest national standards," Mr Redman said.

"We need to ensure the welfare standards are met to the highest level to make sure we don't have a repeat of the tragic circumstances that happened in Mr Ward's case."

The entire fleet of transport vehicles would be replaced, and coaches would be introduced for long-distance hauls along with air charter services for remote and regional transfers, Mr Redman said.

He said the measures were based on the Corrective Services Department's minimum standards for transporting prisoners.

These guidelines stipulated minimum standards for vehicles, along with a range of health and monitoring guidelines including remote temperature monitoring, audible duress/calm alarms, intercom systems, visual monitoring, welfare checks and interaction with prisoners at least every two hours during the journey.

The Department was also obliged to provide comfort breaks and sufficient water for prisoners.

"We want to reduce the need for transporting prisoners in the first instance and improve the safety and security of those who have to be transported," Mr Redman said.

Corrective Services Commissioner Ian Johnston today vowed the obsolete vans would be taken off the road permanently and "100 per cent guaranteed" they would never again be used to transport prisoners.

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